The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

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If you go on TV to argue a controversial viewpoint, it’s to be expected when the host of the show questions you on your allegations. But what happened last Friday on CNBC’s Closing Bell is just an embarrassing example of how far a financial “news” network will go to defend the head of a huge bank just because that institution is performing well on the stock exchange. [More]

Women’s Wear Daily has published a short biography of Suze Orman, 57-year-old CNBC personality, Oprah repeat-guester, and aggressive promoter of financial advice and self. Her father’s poultry shop burned down when she was a child (“Daddy was a failed man.”). At age 30, she lost $50,000 of borrowed money in oil futures, which led her to give up her dream of opening a restaurant and instead enter a training program at Merrill Lynch to pay back the money. Her second book agent—the one who helped shoot her to the top—told her she had to lose 30 pounds to be marketable. And so on: seeing how someone aggressively pursues media stardom is a sausage-making experience. (That same agent says, “I just thought, ‘Great. Finally an author who knows she can’t write.'”)

It’s the final countdown… Oh, sorry. Jim Cramer appeared on The Daily Show last night to settle the war of words between The Daily Show and CNBC that had been going on since Rick “You Are All Losers” Santelli canceled. Did it get nasty? You bet your ass it did, though we were looking forward to a bout of Jello wrestling that never quite materialized.

If you like CNBC you will probably not enjoy this clip. Jon Stewart, jilted by CNBC’s Howard Beale-esque ranting reporter Rick Santellii, fills the time that would have been dedicated to an interview with more than 8 minutes of …. well, let’s just say that we’re glad that we’re not them.

In a not-so-shocking analysis of one of the most-watched TV investment advisers, author Eric Tyson argues that Jim Cramer’s actual stock-picking performance doesn’t match the strength of his bellowing.

Yesterday, Jim Cramer annoyed Ann Curry by saying the following words on her little television program, which is known as The Today Show: “Ok, whatever money you may need for the next five years, please, take it out of the stock market. Right now. This week. I do not believe that you should risk those assets in the stock market.”

8pm eastern, I’m going to be on CNBC’s “On The Money” tonight hosted by the fastest-shootin’ personal finance expert in the West and East, Carmen Wong Ulrich. We’ll be fielding questions from consumers wanting to know what money moves to make and I’ll chime in with the Consumerist.com perspective. Should be interesting! Got bumped, but should be back on again sometime soon.

About a year ago, CNBC’s Jim Cramer completely lost his sh*t on CNBC, screaming at Bernanke to lower interest rates before millions of borrowers went into foreclosure. Now, as the “Armageddon” that he was carrying on about is in full swing, Cramer is taking this opportunity to gloat.